


you've got a frond in me

by xylophones



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Magic, Botany, Detroit Fam, Family, Fluff, Friendship, Gen, Hijinks & Shenanigans, Humor, Magic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-28
Updated: 2017-07-28
Packaged: 2018-12-07 21:38:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,773
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11632425
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xylophones/pseuds/xylophones
Summary: "I can't believe you grew up here," Phichit says, shaking his head. "You grew up surrounded by dragons, and yet you scream every time we find a sparking eel in the river.""Sparking eels are dangerous!”"Yuuri. Your dog breathes fire."(A magical botany AU)





	you've got a frond in me

**Author's Note:**

  * For [eof](https://archiveofourown.org/users/eof/gifts), [TheCookieMonster77](https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheCookieMonster77/gifts).



> unbeta'd because this was supposed to be a quick 1k thing but it somehow ran away from me. oops?

  

 ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* 

Yuuri's life is magical. Literally.

Or, well. It is when he doesn't wake up to a house full of bat fairies.

His first instinct when he wakes up face to face with one is to scream. He rolls out of bed, tangling himself in his duvet while the bat fairy flails its leathery wings around, smacking Yuuri's glasses and alarm clock off his bedside table. Yuuri throws his blankets off and jumps up, managing to hit another bat fairy that was hanging upside down from the rafters. At this point, Yuuri's not sure who's screeching more, him or the fairies.

There's thundering up the stairs and then Phichit bursts into his room, brandishing a frying pan like a club.

"Yuuri?! What's going on?" He shouts, swinging the pan around wildly.

Yuuri yelps and dodges a swing. He pulls Phichit's arms down before he can swing again.

"Phichit, stop!"

"Is there an intruder? Don't worry Yuuri, I'll protect you!"

"Phichit! There's no intruder, it's just–– _ah_!"

Another bat fairy swoops down and tries to nest in Yuuri's hair. He waves his arms frantically, trying to shoo it away without hitting it. Yuuri looks to Phichit helplessly. Phichit looks right back and then bursts into laughter.

"Yuuri. _Yuuri_. You've bathed _dragons_ and you're telling me you're afraid of some itty-bitty bat fairies?"

"They have bat faces and weirdly toned legs! Of course I'm afraid! _Ack!_ " Yuuri ducks behind Phichit as the other four fairies in the room continue in their attempts to smother Yuuri with their furry bodies.

"You're adorable," Phichit chuckles as he pushes Yuuri backwards out of their room. He shuts the door on the fairies with a small apology.

"What the hell, Phichit. Why are there bat fairies in our room? Don't even try to deny it I know this is somehow your fault," Yuuri says. He tries to look very dignified and pissed off, standing in the middle of the hallway in his worn green boxers and a shirt that says 'I'm not a leprechaun but I think I'm getting lucky tonight.'

(It was a gift from Phichit. He has the matching one.)

"I was brewing some remedies for ice burns. I forgot that the blood smell attracted bat fairies," Phichit says. He starts off down the stairs, heading into the brewing room at the back of the house. "Ciao Ciao is in the gardens, by the way. He wanted me to tell you that Mack has some deliveries to make, but I let you sleep in because I'm the best friend ever."

"You're already the best friend ever," Yuuri says, coming up behind Phichit's place in front of the cauldron and wrapping his arms around his middle, "but it's my day off. And if you did the deliveries for me, that would make you the best friend in all of _existence_."

Phichit snorts. He throws a pinch of dried frost fern into the cauldron, which causes a minor explosion. Phichit doesn't even blink, just keeps stirring.

"I _would_ be the best friend in all of existence for picking up your slack, wouldn't I be? Too bad I'm already the best friend in all of existence for cooking you breakfast, too."

Yuuri perks up. "Breakfast?"

"Pigmy eggs and bacon, in the kitchen."

"I love you," Yuuri says, abandoning Phichit for breakfast. "Be careful, your heat is too low."

"Heck off, Katsuki, I know what I'm doing," Phichit says as he flips Yuuri off, but he adjusts the fire anyway.

  
✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* 

Sometimes Yuuri thinks this life is too good for him. He lives with his best friend and his dog in a cozy house, not too far from the center of town and right by a nice river. He's apprenticing under Celestino Cialdini, the most renowned magical botanist in the thirteen kingdoms. Every morning he makes deliveries with Mack, Celestino's corgi, and sometimes if he's done early he gets to drop by his parent's onsen for dinner.

Maybe sometimes he has to deal with a bat fairy infestation or burnt off eyebrows, but it's worth it.

 

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* 

 _It's worth it_ , Yuuri thinks to himself, gritting his teeth. _It's worth it, and I'm_ not _going to kill Phichit in his sleep._

Yuuri's hair is currently bright blue.

"At least it's your favorite color," Phichit offers. He's backing away from Yuuri slowly.

"Phichit," Yuuri says slowly, "Arthur. Chulanont."

"That's not my middle name."

"You're a dead man."

"If you kill him, I'll just have a necromancer bring him back," Celestino says, sliding into the room looking windswept and regal as always. "Why are you going to kill–– Oh."

Celestino sets down his grocery bags on the counter. His hands automatically go up to his own hair protectively.

"Okay, go ahead. I'd kill Phichit too if he did that to my hair."

Yuuri reaches for the nearest weapon, which happens to be a ladle.

"It was a mistake! I really thought it was a calming draught!"

"I'm not feeling very calm right now," Yuuri says, raising the ladle threateningly. "If the jury rules it a crime of passion, I'll get less jail time."

"Ciao Ciao! Help!" Phichit squeaks, hiding behind him. "You don't want to lose your best student! Who will make herb baths for Mack if I'm gone."

"That's a good point," Celestino says. He looks over to where Mack is taking a nap, hovering a couple inches above her doggy bed. "Okay. Yuuri, you're not allowed to kill Phichit."

"Ciao Ciao, my hair is _blue_ ," Yuuri allows himself to whine, just a little. "I have deliveries to make!"

Celestino thinks for a second. "You know... we could sell this."

"What."

"No, think about it," Celestino continues, pinching a lock of Yuuri's aquamarine locks in between his forefinger and thumb, "kids these days are always trying to change their appearance to rebel against the system. We could sell this."

"What if there are side effects?"

Celestino smiles at him. "You're right. I guess we'll just have to observe you. If you don't die, we could have a new hair dye line on our hands."

"If I don't die," Yuuri repeats.

"I'm kidding, kid," Celestino says. He starts putting the groceries away. "I know you won't die. Did you really think I'd leave hazardous materials out? I baby proofed my house before I invited you and Phichit to live here."

Yuuri opens his mouth to voice his resentment at being treated like a child, but then he remembers the number of times he’s fallen down the stairs. He closes his mouth.

"Fine," Yuuri says, finally putting the ladle down. Phichit visibly relaxes. "But Phichit needs to make delivery rounds with me today."

Phichit makes a face but says, "That's fair. Just let me go get my cloak."

(Phichit almost flies them into a tree, but they deliver everything on time. They spend half the time arguing about who Mack loves more and when they get home, Celestino's made their favorite, griffin steak with pasta.

Yuuri's hair is blue for another week.)

 

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* 

Yuuko and Takeshi drop off the triplets every Saturday, but today there was an emergency (something involving a unicorn and some hot sauce? Yuuri's not sure) so the Nishigori's deposited their kids at Celestino's place and then left. The emergency is in the next town over and they'll be gone overnight but Yuuri doesn't mind. He loves spending time with the triplets.

They're wild things, leaving trails of sparkles anywhere they go. They recently figured out how to control the color of the sparks and sometimes they ambush Yuuri with a shower of rainbow sparkles straight to the face. They're precious and Yuuri loves them to bits, even when they're being little monsters.

It's probably the imp blood in them, from Yuuko.

They decide to take the triplets into town today. Celestino had to go in to run some errands, and Yuuri and Phichit were going to go with him anyway to make it a family trip. Now that the triplets are here, they decide to bring Mack, Vicchan, and all of Phichit's hamsters, too.

"We're a walking zoo," Celestino notes, watching as the triplets, Yuuri, and Phichit all file out of the house.

"You love us.”

"Hmm, yes, unfortunately I do," Celestino says, amusement heavy in his voice. "Okay, let's get going."

He steps back and withdraws a wand from his pockets.

" _Si cresce_ ," he mutters. A sharp burst of lightning erupts from the tip and hits Mack. She fluffs up and then starts growing until she's roughly the size of a car. When she barks, the street shakes.

"Woah!" Axel gasps. Loop and Lutz clutch each other and squeal.

" _Boof_!" Mack bounces a little. She tries to lick Phichit and ends up almost soaking him. Yuuri opens his arms and walks straight into Mack, sinking into her fur.

"You're the best," Yuuri tells her, trying unsuccessfully to wrap his arms all the way around her. "You're the best and I love you."

"Don't start, kid," Celestino warns, trying to seem exasperated but mostly just looking fond. "If you give her cuddles now, we'll never get to town."

"Fine," he sighs. He takes out his own wand and points it at Vicchan. " _Seichō shimasu._ "

Vicchan grows until he matches Mack's size. He yips, curly fur bouncing as he noses Yuuri affectionately.

"Who's a good boy, Vicchan? You are! You're the best!"

"I thought Mack was the best dog?" Loop asks.

"She is. They're both the best."

"They can't _both_ be the best," Lutz informs him. "That's not what the word 'best' means."

"All dogs are the best dogs, and that's a fact," Yuuri says. Celestino shakes his head in the background.

Phichit spells his hamsters to grow until they're big enough for the triplets to ride. He and Yuuri fit on some harnesses and strap the girls in, making sure they're secure before they both hop on Vicchan's back.

"Are we all set?" Celestino asks, tightening the last strap on Mack.

"Ready, Ciao Ciao!"

"Okay. Yip-yip," Celestino says to Mack. She barks happily, tongue lolling out the side of her mouth, before she launches herself into the air. Vicchan and the hamsters follow suit.

It's a short ride to the town square, but Yuuri has the hardest journey. Mack and the hamsters all fly through magic, but Vicchan uses his wings to fly. When he's at his usual, miniature poodle size they're tiny, the same brown as his fur, soft and leathery. They tuck in neatly against his back.

But now Vicchan's wings are longer than Yuuri is tall. He sits nestled in between them, gripping Vicchan's harness tightly and trying not to get knocked off his back. He keeps up a stream of praises though, because Vicchan is a good boy and Yuuri loves him very much.

They land in the whirlwind in the middle of the square, frightening some nearby pigeons, who Vicchan attempts to chase before Yuuri shrinks him back down to his normal size.

"Alright, children," Celestino says, once Mack and Vicchan are clipped to their leashes and Phichit's hamsters are tucked securely into his pockets, "here's how it's gonna go: I'm going to do some important magical paperwork business, and Yuuri and Phichit are going to try not to lose the triplets. Again."

"It was one time!"

"It was _six_ times," Celestino corrects. "I have no idea why Yuuko and Takeshi trust you two with their children."

"You trust us with Mack," Yuuri points out.

"More like I trust Mack with you two," Celestino snorts. "I know she'll always bring you back from whatever nonsense shenanigans you've managed to get yourselves into."

Yuuri would protest, but it's true. Those six times they lost the triplets? Mack eventually saved the day.

"Okay! Have fun with your boring paperwork! Ciao Ciao!" Phichit beams up at Celestino.  

"Ciao Ciao, kids," he says, his ponytail curling affectionately.

"So!" Phichit claps his hands together, a mischievous gleam in his eyes. "Who wants to visit Yuuri's favorite cafe?"

Yuuri groans. The triplets cheer.

An hour later, Yuuri is exiting the Beanstalk, clutching his mocha latte with a shot of calm and patience, trying very hard not to blush so hard he burns a hole in the atmosphere. The triplets all file out behind him, holding cups of hot chocolate and bags of cookies. Phichit has two muffins and an extra large iced coffee. Even Vicchan and Mack have small doggie treats.

"Wow, Yuuri I can't believe he gave us all this free stuff!" Phichit exclaims, once they're outside. "See how far you can get if you just flirt with people, just a little."

Yuuri is going to drown himself in his latte. "I'm a horrible person."

"Think of it this way, you fed three small girls for free!"

"It wasn't free," Yuuri mutters, "the price was my dignity."

Yuuri turns back to the girls, crouching down so he's eye level with them. "Remember, girls. It's bad to take advantage of people's feelings."

The three of them pull off a synchronized eye roll. Yuuri is very impressed.

"Come on, we'd better go. He's still looking at you through the window."

Yuuri looks up to where the barista is blatantly staring, the cup of coffee in his hand overflowing. Yuuri turns on his heel and strides away, feeling horribly awkward.

They end up losing the girls twice, once while trying to find an ice cream shop and another time after Yuuri gets distracted by a passing herd of hell dogs.

("Yuuri. Yuuri, they're not cute, they're on _fire_ , Yuuri. What are you doing, no, _don't pet them_ ––!")

Each time, Mack guides them back to the girls using insistent barks and head butts.

Celestino eventually finds them all piled together on a bench near the color-changing fountain in the middle of the square. He doesn't ask about the pile of free sweets they have or why Yuuri's hands need burn treatment ointment. He just sighs and pulls out a vial from his bag.

 

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* 

Yuuri's favorite part about studying botany with Celestino is how challenging it is. One day he sends them out to the river to collect some crystal algae and they end up battling a hydra. Phichit shoots out bolts of magic and Yuuri bends the water into a sword, but in the end it's Vicchan who rescues them by breathing fire into the creature's face.

Another time, Celestino sends him into the winter greenhouse to collect some lightning pumpkin seeds. Yuuri emerges three hours later, the seeds clutched victoriously in one hand and the other spasming from electric aftershocks.

("I knew you could do it," Celestino says later, beaming proudly, "otherwise I wouldn't have sent you in."

He makes Yuuri's favorite sunflower seed croissants for lunch the next day.)

But for all his challenges and loud Italian yelling and unorthodox teaching methods, Celestino is at his heart, very protective over Phichit and Yuuri.

So, when Phichit comes home one day with the bright pink of a magic scratch on his cheek, Celestino shifts into what Phichit calls 'Mama Bear-Snake mode.'

"Who," is all he says, face murderous. His hair lifts up around him, like a cat's fur standing on end.

"Some bandits were passing through the square," Phichit explains as Yuuri ices his cheek, pressing crushed up mint leaves and lavender to the wound. "They were trying to rob Madame Pomfrey's shop."

"Right," Celestino says, clipped. His eyes shine like mercury, his normally pristine hair is a thundercloud. "Right. We'll take care of that, then."

That night, he teaches Yuuri and Phichit how to brew offensively. Droughts that stain hands bright red, potions that you can throw like molotov cocktails. How to take down a man with a couple teaspoons of sugar, a mandrake root, and some nightlock.

They go down to Madame Pomphrey's shop and gift her with protective plants. Vines that curl over the doorway and grow spines if she gives the right command, flowers that spit pepper spray.

"Always remember," Celestino tells them, "nature is neither good nor evil. It's what you can do with it, how you can use different plants, that matters. Who you can help, who you can protect."

  
✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* 

A week later, they receive a gift from Madame Pomphrey. It's a uniform for Mack, pastel pink and blue polkadots with a matching hat and lots of pockets. Yuuri cries the first time they put it on her. She's so cute.

"Phichit," he sobs, " _look_."

"I know, I know," Phichit says, patting Yuuri's head comfortingly. He's taken over a hundred pictures of Mack in her new uniform. "This is definitely going on our website."

"We're a professional establishment," Celestino protests. He's also crying.

"A professional establishment with a very cute dog," Yuuri sobs.

The week after that, Madame Pomphrey sends them matching uniforms for Vicchan and each of Phichit's hamsters. Yuuri _wails_.

  


"Ciao Ciao!" Yuuri calls, wiping the dirt from his boots on the mat. The boots are canary yellow and patterned with tiny dragons. They're Yuuri's favorite gardening boots. "I finished milking the sunflowers."

"In here, Yuuri!"

Yuuri follows his voice into the storefront. Celestino is hunched over the accounting books. The shop is an explosion of greenery, some plants hanging from the ceiling and some spilling out into the street from the windowsill boxes. The whole shop smells like Earth, like growth and comfort and home. Yuuri basks in the smell for a moment.

"Set them down over there, kid," Celestino says, gesturing towards the front counter. Yuuri carefully sets the vials of light on the wooden tabletop, making sure the corks are firmly in place. He looks up from the books and frowns at Yuuri's hands.

"You're fingers are stained," he says. Yuuri flaps his hands, his fingers glowing golden faintly.

"I lost my gloves the other day, while I was delivering," Yuuri says.

"Hmm," Celestino says. He goes back to his bookkeeping.

Later that evening Yuuri finds a gift-wrapped box on his bed. Inside are new, baby blue gloves with smiling poodles printed along the wrist edges. Yuuri tries them on and finds they magically shrink to fit his hands, until it feels like he's not even wearing any gloves.

On Phichit's bed is a similarly wrapped box. Yuuri's willing to bet it contains a matching pair, probably in lilac and hamster patterned.

Yuuri grins. Celestino really does spoil them.

 

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* 

"You're both banned from the brewing room for a week," Celestino says, after the fifth time Yuuri accidentally burns his eyebrows off. "Banned! Out! Go dig rows for the singing petunias!"

"Why am I banned?" Phichit squawks, flailing his arms as Celestino herds them out of the room. "Yuuri caused the explosion this time!"

"Don't think I didn't see your hamsters chewing through my tomato plants yesterday," Celestino replies, "and don't think I don't know that _you_ let them loose in the garden on purpose."

"They require fresh air!" Phichit protests.

"They have the entire rooftop garden! Leave my vegetables alone!"

  
✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* 

The woods behind Celestino's house, on the other side of the river bank, are not exactly... safe.

("The running water is good," Celestino told them on their first night with him. "Good nutrients for the plants, and good for protecting us."

"Protecting us from what?" Yuuri asked.

"Kid, I hope you never have to find out," Celestino replied, "but I'll teach you everything I know just in case.")

It's deceptively peaceful looking, from the other side of the river. As soon as you cross over, though, the glamor fades. Despite all the warnings, Yuuri and Phichit have never actually meet anything sinister on their runs into the woods. Celestino says it's because they always go as a pair. Phichit takes that to mean they're warding demons off through the power of friendship.

Today, Yuuri and Phichit need to go into the woods to collect some snapping moss. It's for a customer who wants to attract love-bees.

"Hey, isn't the grove the other way?" Phichit asks, after they've been walking for almost an hour. They've passed the same rock five times.

"I'm not sure," Yuuri replies. He shuffles closer and takes Phichit's hand. He has a jar of dirt from their front garden in his backpack, as well as a couple granola bars and a purple spotted fern. It’s always good to bring stuff from home with you, when you go into the woods.

They decide to stop at a stream to get their bearings.

"Do you think we should cast a circle? Or maybe send up a flare for Ciao Ciao?" Yuuri asks. He continues rummaging through his bag. He knows he put in a few tea candles before he left this morning, where are they? Yuuri pulls out some lavender (for calming) and a few rubber plant leaves for prosperity and health.

"Phichit? What do you think?" Yuuri finds the candles and pulls his arms from the depths of his bag, victorious. He looks up to where Phichit is seated on a rock near the stream edge.

He's not there.

"Phichit?" Yuuri calls, louder this time. He whips his head around wildly, looking for him. "Phichit! Phichit, where are you?!"

Yuuri's hand flies to the friendship bracelet hanging from his right wrist. They have matching ones, with two halves of the same moonstone embedded in a silver pendant, a spell woven into the threads so they can always find each other. Yuuri joked that it was a tracking chip when Phichit first presented him with the bracelets. Now, he's so, so glad to have it. He breathes a command into the stone. It starts glowing, blue when Yuuri turns to face the forest, pink when Yuuri faces the stream.

Yuuri takes a hesitant step forward and the stone flushes a darker pink.

"Oh, no," Yuuri whispers. He wades into the stream fully clothed, distantly noting that he's wearing a shirt that Phichit bought him last year that says 'I beLEAF in you' on it. He’ll never admit it but he loves this dumb shirt.

"Phichit!" Yuuri splashes around frantically. He turns a bend, clinging to a large rock because his feet don't touch the stream bed here. It's too deep.

"Phichit!"

The moonstone continues to glow darker and darker pink.

"Phichit! Phichit, where are you?!"

"Yuuri!"

Yuuri launches himself away from the rock and directly into Phichit. They splash around, trying to settle. Yuuri clings tightly to Phichit, eyes roving his face.

"Are you okay?" Yuuri asks, still slightly panicked. "I couldn't find you."

"Sorry, sorry, but Yuuri, look! I made some friends!"

Phichit gestures towards the middle of the steam, where some creatures splash around. Yuuri squints. He swims closer, until he can stand with the water at waist level.

"Are those... are those sea lions?"

Splashing around the stream is a small herd of sea lions. They're green manes float and sway, like seaweed underwater, even when their heads are above water. One of them goes up to Phichit and rubs its cheek against his like a slimey house cat. Phichit looks delighted. Yuuri is so relieved.

"Before you ask," Yuuri says, "no, we can't adopt them."

Phichit pouts. "But, Yuuri, they're so cute! They're the freshwater breed so they should be able to live in the river! Look, they already like you."

One of the sea lions comes up to Yuuri and plops itself on the water in front of him, demanding pets. Yuuri sets a hand on its mossy back, stroking gently and untangling seashells from its fur. It starts purring, an oddly dolphin-like sound. Yuuri is hopelessly charmed.

"Why do you always try to adopt woodland creatures," Yuuri asks exasperated, even as he gathers as many sea lions in his arms as he can. One of them settles across his shoulders, resting its head on top of Yuuri's.

"You barely protested this time," Phichit points out. He's also holding an armful of sea lions.

"I'm weak," Yuuri says. The sea lion on his shoulders bats playfully at his glasses.

Celestino yells at them when he catches them introducing their new friends to the river. He lets the sea lions stay, though. The downside is that Phichit and Yuuri aren't allowed to leave the forest until they come back with the moss.

They come back with the moss _and_ more sea lions.

  
✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* 

After Phichit and Yuuri pass their broomstick flying tests, Celestino buys them an entire crate of magic alcohol to celebrate. They end up lounging on the couches by the back porch, basking in the moonlight and the view of their four greenhouses lined up by the river, drunk out of their minds and loose-limbed and, most importantly, _happy_.

"I s-shouldn't have drank so much firewhiskey," Yuuri sobs, clutching Mack and Vicchan, "[I can't protect them!](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0JboM-STb4E#t=01m29s)"

The two dogs squirm in Yuuri’s lap as he continues on his ten minute long drunken rant about how much he loves them. Phichit laughs and records the entire thing.

 

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* 

Yuuri takes Phichit to visit his family's onsen.

Phichit's family lives on the opposite side of the realm, across the sea, so Yuuri tries to take him to visit Hiroko and Toshiya as much as possible. The upside is that Phichit is less homesick.

The downside is that Phichit and Mari always tease Yuuri within an inch of his life.

"Nice look," Mari snorts, nodding her chin at his lack of eyebrows.

"It's a new trend," Phichit says. "He thought his eyebrows were competing with the thickness of his glasses, so he shaved them off."

"I hate you both," Yuuri says, but he clings to Mari like a barnacle. She indulges him, wrapping her other arm around Phichit and pushing the two of them past the guests' dining room and back into the private family dining room.

" _Okaasan_ ," she calls out, "your sons are here."

Hiroko comes bustling out of the kitchen. She kisses both Yuuri and Phichit on the cheek, and then kisses Mari too so she doesn't feel left out.

"Your father is just finishing up dinner," she says. She straightens Yuuri's collar even though he's pretty sure it isn't crooked. "Why don't you two have a bath?"

"Will we have to share the onsens with any dragons?" Phichit asks.

"It's just Mr. Haku in right now," Hiroko says, "because it's the off season. His cave is being renovated so he's staying here for now."

Phichit shuffles his feet nervously, but he calms when Yuuri takes his hand.

"C'mon, Mr. Haku is really nice," Yuuri says, trying to reassure him. "He's an accountant for dragon hoards. He taught me how to do long division."

They drop their overnight bags off in Yuuri's room. Phichit skims his fingers along the hallway, stretching his arms out to try to reach the opposite side. It's maybe thirty feet wide, but that doesn't stop him from trying.

"I can't believe you grew up here," Phichit says, shaking his head. "You grew up surrounded by dragons, and yet you scream every time we find a sparking eel in the river."

"Sparking eels are dangerous!”

"Yuuri. Your dog breathes fire."

"Vicchan is a gentle soul," Yuuri says. "Besides, dragons aren't scary. They just need someone to clean their scales and polish their talons."

Phichit rolls his eyes. "Do you even hear yourself? Next you're going to tell me you started brushing their teeth at the tender age of fifteen."

Yuuri bites his tongue. The first time his mom taught him how to brush a dragon's teeth was when he was twelve, actually.

"They're nice to you if you're nice to them," Yuuri says.

"Huh. I guess that applies to everyone, right?"

"Not you," Yuuri shoots back, "I feel like every time I say something nice to you, you find a new thing to roast me on."

"I roast you because I love you," Phichit says. "Now come on, I want a bath."

 

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* 

The weekend passes in a blur and before they know it, they're back in Celestino's house, tending to the sentient basil.

Again, Yuuri thinks that this life is too good for him.

And then he looks at Mack, flying around their heads and yipping gleefully, and Vicchan, his snout smoking slightly, and Phichit, who just knocked over an entire jar of spelled dirt, and Celestino, his hair thrashing around in his ponytail.

Maybe this life is too good for him. Maybe he doesn't deserve it. But maybe it’s not about deserving this life. Maybe Yuuri makes all of them just as happy as they make him.

  
  
  
  
  


(Yuuri's eyebrows grow back, eventually, but they're bright blue.)

 

**Author's Note:**

> yes, the title is a pun because i'm the worst.
> 
> translation notes:  
> seichō shimasu: it will grow  
> si cresce: we grow up  
> (please let me know if any of these are wrong!)
> 
> A few things:  
> -this is a companion fic for [eof’s lovely art](https://eof-doodles.tumblr.com/post/163080604195/the-magical-botany-au-that-me-and-xyloophones) because we started talking about a magical botany au and now i can’t stop thinking about it (please go check it out, it’s the best thing ive ever seen)
> 
> -mack the corgi is [cookie's](https://thecookiemonster77.tumblr.com/) oc and also the cutest i love writing her omg so HUGE shoutout to cookie. The detroit fam tag is becoming a Thing, slowly but surely 
> 
> -as usual, you can find me at [xyloophones](https://xyloophones.tumblr.com/) over on tumblr and [@_xylophones](https://twitter.com/_xylophones) on twitter (which i'm starting to get the hang of!!)
> 
> EDIT (JUL 31, 2017): [now with more art by eof!!!](https://eof-doodles.tumblr.com/post/163660098220/because-xyloophoness-youve-got-a-frond-in-me-is)


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